Viva la Iguana!
I was in downtown San Jose this last weekend, down by the Convention Center. So, as I always do when I'm down there, I bemoaned the loss of my favorite taqueria, Iguanas. That place had very good food, very fast, very cheap -- $10 once bought me more than I could eat, and my capacity is not inconsiderable. Wonderful guacamole, good carne asada, no trouble with special orders; they'd make the food right in front of you, just behind the narrow counter. Oh, and did I mention? Being right next to SJSU, they opened for lunch and stayed open until at least 2am. Midnight munchies at the con? No contest. Sadly, they closed down in 2005, and the word at the place around the corner was that it was because they hadn't controlled the late-night rowdies enough. So poof, they were out.
I needed to grab some dinner that night, though, and on the way to the hotel, Greg drove down third street. So I pointed out where Iguanas had been -- right there, midblock, right where that giant sign is all... lit... up...
It said Iguanas: Home of the Burritozilla.
Hallelujah.
I walked over to it around 10pm, went up the little stairs and to the left, and it's like they were never gone. The same murals of silly iguanas on the walls and laminated into the tables, same menu at the front. I happily ordered two super tacos and a super burrito ($11.50 total), and asked the guy behind the counter what had happened.
Apparently (I'm piecing this together from what he told me and the little I can find online) there was a dispute with the landlord over the lease, which forced them to close down in July of 2005. The owners of Iguanas took the landlord to court, chased him all over the legal system, and finally won the right to stay open. So they handed the business to their two sons, who cleaned and freshened up the place, did a few repairs, and reopened in late 2006. They're doing a roaring trade, and they didn't even hike the prices much.
They're open until 3 now on Fridays and Saturdays, and they host live music and poetry readings. Man, I should have pulled out my student ID card -- the article says they might have given me a 10% discount. Next time...
The tacos were as good as I remember, even after sitting for an hour or so because I got distracted... sogginess didn't diminish them. The place puts garlic in their guacamole. That alone would have me coming back. :)
I needed to grab some dinner that night, though, and on the way to the hotel, Greg drove down third street. So I pointed out where Iguanas had been -- right there, midblock, right where that giant sign is all... lit... up...
It said Iguanas: Home of the Burritozilla.
Hallelujah.
I walked over to it around 10pm, went up the little stairs and to the left, and it's like they were never gone. The same murals of silly iguanas on the walls and laminated into the tables, same menu at the front. I happily ordered two super tacos and a super burrito ($11.50 total), and asked the guy behind the counter what had happened.
Apparently (I'm piecing this together from what he told me and the little I can find online) there was a dispute with the landlord over the lease, which forced them to close down in July of 2005. The owners of Iguanas took the landlord to court, chased him all over the legal system, and finally won the right to stay open. So they handed the business to their two sons, who cleaned and freshened up the place, did a few repairs, and reopened in late 2006. They're doing a roaring trade, and they didn't even hike the prices much.
They're open until 3 now on Fridays and Saturdays, and they host live music and poetry readings. Man, I should have pulled out my student ID card -- the article says they might have given me a 10% discount. Next time...
The tacos were as good as I remember, even after sitting for an hour or so because I got distracted... sogginess didn't diminish them. The place puts garlic in their guacamole. That alone would have me coming back. :)